The fishermen of Santa Gilla were hoping for redemption. In 2025, mussels and oysters died from excessive heat; this year, the mussel mortality rate is even greater due to the low salinity caused by the large influx of freshwater from Cyclone Harry and the heavy rainfall of the following months. Millions of liters of water were then discharged into the lagoon by the Cixerri River.
The showdown
There's an eerie silence in the Santa Gilla facility. Until a few months ago, the noise of the purification system and the mussel packaging machinery was almost inaudible. "All we have left are the clams (vongole cuore) and the clams (cocciula niedda). Luckily, only 10 percent of the product has been lost," says Valter Rizzardini, vice president of the Santa Gilla fish cooperative, as he gazes disconsolately at the nets containing the freshly harvested mollusks being processed. "Only they, which live at depth, managed to survive this year's disaster: practically all the mussels and clams are dead." The disaster is easily explained. "Due to the heavy rainfall during Cyclone Harry and in recent months, the Cixerri River has poured millions of liters of freshwater into the lagoon, causing a collapse in salinity." Currently, tests have revealed a percentage of 1 percent, while the normal range is 12 percent. "This condition," adds Rizzardini, "has caused the mussels and oysters to defend themselves and close up. They resisted for twenty days, then died. We lost 80 percent of the farm, and those that survived were unable to grow." During Easter, one of the periods of greatest demand, the stalls at local markets and fishmongers were empty. "The surviving mussels will be ready in June." Oysters? "The timeframe for them is significantly longer because they need at least eight months to mature. If there are no other unforeseen events, we'll talk about it again at Christmas."
Black Horizon
The troubles for Santa Gilla aren't limited solely to the mussel and oyster mortality. After a winter in which cormorants and dolphins preyed on fish, now comes the dreaded blue crab. "With the warming waters, it finds the lagoon an ideal habitat, also due to the large amount of food." Unfortunately, to get it, it destroys nets, causing significant damage to fishermen. These crustaceans, the largest of which can weigh up to half a kilo, are quite aggressive, devouring mullet, sea bream, sea bass, mussels, clams, sole, and anything else they encounter. They also irreparably damage gear, puncturing and breaking nets, bertavelli, and longlines with their powerful claws.
Bottom line balances
In the Santa Gilla lagoon, the situation is shaping up to be a two-year one to forget. And to understand how bleak the situation is, simply look at the financial statements of the Sette Cooperative fishing consortium, which comprises 130 fishing members. "The 2024 turnover, based on 2023 activity, was €1.5 million. The following year," Rizzardini concludes, "it plummeted to €700,000 due to the mussel and oyster mortality, killed by water temperatures that reached levels incompatible with mollusks."
Andrea Artizzu